


I Knew I Loved You

by Daretodream66



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Avengers Trivia Night, Battle of New York (Marvel), Boys In Love, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, But they aren't the same thing, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, He's not above having casual sex, M/M, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers has old fashioned ideas about dating, Steve Rogers is Not a Virgin, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, mentions ptsd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:08:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23642842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: Bucky and Steve meet when it's Trivia Night at Bucky and Becca's bar.  Natasha has some issues, but Steve forgives her.I'd appreciate it if you would read the notes.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 191





	I Knew I Loved You

**Author's Note:**

> Natasha in this is troubled and it doesn't come from a good place. I needed one of the characters to be a problem in this story and she got the short straw.   
> I know we're all having a rough time being at home, but we really are doing the right thing. Between planning lessons for my students and posting videos for them, I've been writing...A LOT. It keeps my mind occupied.  
> Also, to anyone and everyone that has ever read anything I've written and left a comment, thank you so much for taking the time. I should be better at responding, but I suck at that kind of thing and never know what to say. So, if my non-response offended anyone, I truly am sorry.  
> OH...according to Marvel, Steve received the serum in March of 1941, but I added the 10th because it was fun.

James Barnes doesn’t consider himself a twink. But, his taste in men, bigger than him, would prove he likes the idea. He’s not small, not like the guy that just came over to him and barely came to his shoulder. At 5’10 and a half, he’s quite tall. He started swimming at eight and swam all the way to the 2012 Olympics in London. He and his relay team won the gold and he’s pretty sure the little guy that came up before recognized him. So, James Barnes has the muscular build of a swimmer and even with everything that’s happened, he maintains that body. He’s lean and some would say lanky, but once the clothes come off, he’s defined and strong.

Looking around, he sees Becca making her way to the stage for trivia night. James, Bucky to his family, weaves through the crowd to join her. When he’s up on the riser he leans in. “You sure you want me doing this tonight? I know how much you love it.”

She grins and he knows that look and really doesn’t like that look. “We’ll be starting in about 20 minutes. Keep your head in the game.” With that, she hands him the tablet and leaves him to get organized. She makes an announcement to gather teams together and find an available table.

The flash of a camera goes off and Bucky has a minute. He doesn’t have them too often anymore, but occasionally it does still happen. 

After returning to America from London, New York had been attacked by aliens. The Battle of New York, they called it. Bucky had been in Manhattan that day, going over the photos from a shoot he did for a magazine. Out on the street, he’d seen the glare of the sun off one of those flying whatever they were. It blinded him just enough that he hadn’t seen the alien coming at him. The car behind him exploded and Bucky lost his left arm and never swam competitively again.

Two years later, he found himself in the hospital with an infection because of the arm or lack of one. A friend, from the Games, had been in town and wanted to see him. When he’d told the man, Terrance, that he was in the hospital, his friend had made his way to visit him. He’d had, what Bucky thought, was his little sister with him, but she turned out to be a Princess from Terry’s home country. That little nugget didn’t come up until she had insulted the doctor credentials, had Bucky check himself out of the hospital, and were on their way to a small African Nation called Wakanda.

Four months, two surgeries, and a kickass prosthetic later, Bucky was a new man. Now, he has to deal with PTSD that kicks his ass sometimes, but luckily tonight, he just has a little disorientation. Becca comes over, having seen the waiver. “You okay?”

Bucky shakes his head to clear the memory. “Uh…yeah…I’m good now.” He nods and she squeezes his arm to center him again.

So, to call himself a twink isn’t really accurate, but he does like a bigger man because he likes feeling small against them. He likes the way his muscles are visible without being pronounced. He likes when a man looks at him like he’s delicate. He doesn’t partake in sexual promiscuity, but when he does find his ‘type’ he doesn’t make any secret about what he wants. The only issue is that sometimes the guys don’t understand that he wants to feel small and taken care of. Or in the case of his last disaster, he gets used for weeks, then dumped like a piece of trash. That’s why he doesn’t date anymore. Becca pushes, but also tells him to be sure the guys worth it.

There’s some commotion at the door, drawing his attention, and Bucky looks up to see Becca escorting a group to a reserved table. It’s a mixed group of three women and 4 men, but he can’t see faces from the low lights. He doesn’t give it much thought, except for the tall, built blond. Bucky likes how big the man is and blonds have always been a weakness. When Becca gives the signal, the stage light comes up and Bucky taps the earpiece to turn it on. “Welcome to Thursday Night Trivia at Acasa. I’m James and I’ll be your Master of Games tonight.” There’s round of applause. “Let’s see how all of you feel about me once we’re a few rounds in.” There’s laughing and a whoop from the table that Becca is still hovering over.

Steve’s not real sure what’s happening, but as they are shown to their table, the hostess stays by the table. She explains the rules of the game and then takes their order, leaving a pad similar to a StarkPad on the table. Tony grabs it and enters their team name, grinning like a loon when he shows it to the rest of the table. 

The lights on the stage come up and Steve loses his breath. Dear god, the man on the stage is breathtaking. Becca, the hostess, comes back, passing out drinks and stays nearby in case they have any questions. The gorgeous man on stage starts to talk and Steve lets himself get caught up in the deep timbre of his voice. The man’s eyes sparkle like nothing Steve’s ever seen and he can tell the man has hidden strength, but he’s just the right size to fit against a super soldier body. Good thing Steve’s the only super soldier around.

Wanda elbows him and Steve blushes. “Now that you’ve come out, do you see something you like?”

Steve tries to cover his embarrassment with a cough. “I didn’t say anything.”

Sam sniggers. “You didn’t have to say anything, Steve. You’re looking at him like he’s dinner.” The blush on Steve’s cheeks deepens. Yes, the man is beautiful, but no, Steve doesn’t see people that way. He doesn’t understand why his team doesn’t know that about him. He’s been with people, but something about this man is…different.

Becca leans into the table, having heard their conversation. “And he’s single and you’re just his type.” That causes the table to bark with laughter. The man on stage looks over, as does most of the bar, and Becca grins, shrugging. They play four rounds and the Avengers are neck and neck with one other table. Steve has been very little help, since he still doesn’t know a lot about the modern trivia, but round five comes up and Steve’s in his element. 

Bucky looks at Becca, who is just smirking. He leans over where she’s standing next to the stage, having left the seemingly special table. Tapping the earpiece to turn it off, he looks at her confused. “Why in the hell is the last round all Depression Era trivia?”

She gives a noncommittal shrug. “I wanted them to have to work for the prize.” Bucky chuckles and taps the earpiece again.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the last round is upon us and my little sister has decided to play dirty. You want the prize, you better know your Great Depression History.” He hears the ‘Yes!’ coming from the special table and wonders if they have a history professor on their team. He sees a redhead lean over to where the other winning table is and cackles ‘You guys are screwed.’

The round goes about the way the table seems to think that it will. The seven at the table are whooping and hollering every time they get the answer right. The last question comes up and Bucky looks even more confused at Becca. She waves him off and points at the pad. “Okay, last question.” He scans the crowd. Most have given up and are now rooting for their favorite team. Most seem to be rooting for the team that knows everything about the Great Depression. “What date was the super soldier serum given to Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America?”

The table that is now losing horribly doesn’t even try to answer the question. The tablet issued to each team just gets tossed aside and they bury their faces in their hands. A voice from the winning table laughs wildly. Bucky checks his pad and sees their answer come up. The same redhead from earlier shouts, “Take that!”

Bucky can’t believe they missed the answer with all the other knowledge they displayed over the course of the round. “The question was – What date was the super soldier serum given to Steve Rogers? The correct answer is not March 10, 1941, but March 11, 1941.” He expects the awwww’s from the crowd, what he doesn’t expect is the voice from the table that still won.

“Excuse me, but your answer is wrong!” A man, Bucky still can’t see his face for the lights is coming towards the stage. Bucky hates dealing with sore losers, but all he can really hear is his sister laughing her ass off.

The man steps up on stage and Bucky sees his face for the first time. “Holy fucking shit!” He looks at his sister, who is now doubled over and knows he’s been set up. Bucky isn’t like most people, he didn’t lose his shit when Captain America was found alive. He knew who the guy was from history classes, but he didn’t really give the man much thought. I mean, what are the odds that he’s ever going to meet a living legend. But being face to face with what can only be described at a Greek God of a man, Bucky thinks he should have paid more attention.

The crowd goes wild. “I think would remember the date that I was given the serum. It was March 10th.”

Now all Bucky can do is laugh because this is just the type of thing that Becca would do. “And I’m sure if I ask my sister, she will tell us that she did that on purpose.” Becca has her hands covering her mouth, giggling, but is nodding frantically.

Steve looks over at her. He grins at her and turns back to Bucky. “We still won, right?”

Bucky barks a laugh, nodding. “Yeah man, you and your table still won and I’m sorry about my sister and her weird sense of humor.” Steve steps off the stage and Bucky gets a look at the most perfect ass he’s ever seen. He’s high-fiving tables as he passes and Bucky can’t help the smile. As he gets back to the booth, he turns smiling so warmly at Bucky that it almost feels like a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. “The winner of tonight’s game is,” He looks back down at this pad and chuckles, “Stark Raving Mad.” He should have known from the group name alone. “Congrats guys! Becca will be by to set you up.” There’s a huge round of applause and Bucky steps off the stage. The lights go down and music starts playing as a low background to the chatter.

Bucky stays at the end of the bar, scoping out the crowd and keeping tabs on anyone he might have to escort out. He also keeps an eye on the Avengers just to make sure no one makes a nuisance of themselves trying to get autographs or selfies with the group. Occasionally, when he looks over, he’ll see one or two of them looking over at him. But it’s when Steve Rogers is looking that he blushes. Thank god for low lights in bars.

Around one, he goes to the office to add a few things to the ‘order inventory’ form for later in the week. Becca comes in about 1:30 with a tally sheet, which he keys into the computer. “Why are you hold up in here?”

Without looking up, Bucky gives an easy answer. “Someone needs to get this in when the bar closes. Just wanted to make your job easier.” He looks up smiling.

She leans a hip against the desk. “You aren’t going to fuss at me for the trivia thing?”

He huffs a laugh. “I got to shake hands with Steve Rogers, so no, I’m okay with your little game.”

She just hums and leaves the office. Back at the bar, she looks up to find none other than Steve Rogers grinning at her. “Hi, I’m Steve.”

She takes his offered hand. “I’m Becca.”

“Uh…” He looks back over his shoulder and Becca can see the rest of his table nodding or giving a shooing motion. “So, I was…if it’s not…what happened to your brother?”

Becca stops wiping down the counter and looks up grinning like a maniacal cat. “He’s in the office. You should go say hi.” She points down the hallway and Steve takes a tentative step, then squares his shoulders and practically marches away. She looks back at the table where his friend, the fucking Avengers, are fist bumping each other. They’ll all have hell to pay if Steve Rogers does anything to hurt her brother.

There’s a soft rap at the door and Bucky calls for the person to enter. He doesn’t look up immediately, expecting Becca. “Uh…hi…your sister told me I could come back.”

Bucky’s head shoots up and he blushes. Steve Rogers is standing in the door, looking shy and a little uncomfortable. All Bucky can think for a few seconds is how beautiful he is and how he’s so very much the brunette’s type. He stands too quickly causing the desk chair to roll and hits the back wall. “Hi…uh…hi.” Apparently, Bucky has lost the ability to speak in complete sentences. “You…you’re…”

Steve’s shoulders slump giving him a sad puppy demeanor. “Yeah, I’m Captain America.”

Bucky does his own version of a puppy when he tilts his head, eyes narrow, examining the man standing in the door. “No, I was going to say, which is just as embarrassing, that you’re standing in my door.” Steve looks shocked, then elated. “And by the way, I’m usually better at talking to people.”

Steve laughs. “Well I’m not, so you may have to carry the conversation.” It’s Bucky’s turn to laugh and Steve watches how the low lights play with the color or his eyes. “You have really beautiful eyes.”

That was not at all the turn that Bucky thought this conversation would take. “Uh…thanks.

Steve steps further into the office, closing the door behind him. He takes a breath and Bucky watches him change from, what appears to be a really sweet guy, into Captain America. He thinks it’s weird that he sees two different people. “Listen, I don’t know…I was…” He quickly goes from Captain America back to Steve. “I’m so bad at this.”

Bucky comes over, putting a hand on Steve’s arm. Looking down at it, Steve smiles and places his over it. “Just take a breath and say what you wanted to say. I promise not to bite.”

Steve grins at him and there’s a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Not yet anyway.”

Bucky barks a laugh. “I’ve been known to nibble here and there.”

“My friends told me I should come in here and ask you for coffee.” Steve hasn’t released his hands yet.

Bucky smirks. “What do you want to do? Cause I’m up for coffee.”

“See James, I don’t like coffee dates.” Bucky tilts his head again. “Coffee dates imply that if things don’t go well that it’s easy to walk away because you’ve only invested five dollars and about an hour of your time.” It’s an interesting way to look at it and the anticipation of what Steve might be suggesting has Bucky on his toes. “Call it old fashioned because god knows, according to Tony, I’m old, but I’d like to take you to dinner.”

The biggest smile that’s ever crossed Bucky’s face blooms. “I would really like to have dinner with you. I can give you my number and you can call and we’ll set up the details.”

“Yeah…yeah, that would be great.” Bucky goes to the desk, pulling a post-it from the stack and writes his number and name.

“Bucky?” Steve stares at the note that Bucky hands him.

“Yeah, it’s a nickname Becca gave me when we were kids. It stuck.” Steve nods, looking back at Bucky.

“I like it.”

Two nights later, Steve picks Bucky up with flowers in hand. Bucky’s never been so charmed in all of his life. Dinner is at a little Mexican place and afterwards they stop into a coffee place for a hot chocolate. Strolling through the streets, cups in one hand, holding onto each other with the other, they talk about every day things. “Natasha told me that you’re famous.” Bucky looks at Steve confused. “She said that you won a gold medal for swimming in the Olympics.”

Bucky gives a small grin. “Yeah, but famous isn’t a word I’d use to describe myself.”

“What would you use?” Steve seems genuinely curious.

“Uh…determined maybe.” He narrows his eyes, thinking. “Loving when it’s something I care about or someone I care about and probably romantic, but only when I can trust the person.”

Steve gently squeezes his hand. “What do I need to do to have you trust me?”

Bucky smirks. “Tryin to find out what romantic Bucky Barnes is like, Steve?”

“Wouldn’t be the worst mission I’ve set myself on.” Bucky’s laugh rings through the street and Steve joins in.

“All you have to do is be a good guy. I’ve dated my fair share of real assholes and I deserve better than that.” Steve pulls them to a stop and kisses Bucky lightly on the cheek.

“You deserve everything good.”

“And that is how you reel me in. Damn Steven, you can’t say things like that because a romantic heart is liable to fall in love with you. What would you do then?” Steve leans in, kissing Bucky softly.

“I would think I was the luckiest guy on the planet.” Steve pulls him along and they continue their walk. Bucky just keeps staring at him like he doesn’t know what to do with someone that’s being so open and not even trying to play a game. “Now, what are you doing tomorrow? I was thinking we could do something fun. You ever been to Coney Island?”

Bucky pulls away, stopping. “Wait, wait, wait, what are you looking for here, Steve? Most people don’t plan date number two while still on date number one. They usually wait a few days before even calling.”

Steve, who got a few steps ahead, comes back to where Bucky is standing. Cupping his cheek, he caresses the angle of Bucky’s cheekbone. “What I’m looking for is someone that wants to build something special and Tony told me about this waiting three days to not appear too eager, but I am eager. I want to get to know you because…” He leans in again, kissing Bucky again. “Because you’re you.”

Bucky’s head plops onto Steve’s chest. “Jesus, I don’t even know what to do with that.”

“What do you wanna do?” Steve’s smiling when Bucky raises his head.

“I wanna go to Coney Island with you tomorrow.” They grin at each other, clasping hands again, and make their way down the street. “You know, I think I could get used to these old-fashioned ideas of yours.”

They’re standing in line to get a hot dog and have been sharing everything and anything they can think of. Steve pulls his wallet out, handing over the cash for the food. Bucky shifts the stuffed wolf under his arm to help. As they make their way eating and talking, Bucky dribbles mustard down his chin. Steve reaches over with a napkin and wipes it away, never breaking eye contact with Bucky. “Tell me about your worst date ever.” 

Steve snorts making Bucky giggle. Steve looks at him like he’s hypnotized by the sound with a soft smile on his face. “Every date before last night.”

Bucky closes his eyes because this guy is too good to be true. Opening his eyes back up, he sees worry on Steve’s face. “Steve?”

“I’m fucking this up, aren’t I? I’m saying too much and being too honest. Nat told me to be careful of that. She said it would chase you away.” Bucky reaches up putting a hand over Steve’s mouth, stopping his word vomit.

“Did you mean it?” Steve nods, but closes his eyes. “Then it isn’t too much and you can’t be too honest. You just have to let me catch up that this isn’t a game to you. You aren’t just trying to get me into bed.”

Steve’s eyes fly open and he takes Bucky’s hand from his mouth. “Has someone done that to you?”

Bucky shrugs, taking another bite of food. “Well yeah Steve, that’s what dating in the 21st Century is. It’s about meaningless hook-ups. At least that’s how it feels.”

They start walking again. Finishing their food and throwing the trash away, Steve grabs his hand again, interlacing their fingers. He hasn’t said anything or asked about the prosthetic. Bucky figures it isn’t a big deal because of all the tech Steve’s around on a daily basis. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand that way of thinking.” He turns, grinning. “I’m going to sound really old right now, so just deal with it.” Bucky grins in return. “In my day,” Bucky barks a laugh. “We didn’t date to get someone into bed. At least not if we were good people. Anyway, I just think that dating is a way to see if two people are compatible enough to take the next step. You know, to be exclusive and somewhere down the line, get married.”

Bucky was taking a drink when that last part comes out and spits his drink in shock. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he looks at an equally shocked Steve Rogers. “Okay, this is what I’m going to need from you. You listenin?” Steve nods. “You’re going to have to give me a warning of some kind when you’re going to say something like that. Otherwise I’m going to be wasting a lot of perfectly good soda.”

They stare at each other for a few seconds. “Is it bad to say that?”

Bucky pats his chest. “Steve, Steve, my sweet summer child, that kinda talk could end dates and have people ghostin ya.”

He takes Steve’s hand again and pulls him along. “Are you going to ghost me?”

“Hell no! I think I just found the perfect guy. You think I’m letting that go?” Steve squeezes his hand, then raises it to kiss.

“So, are you free tomorrow?” Bucky leans into Steve’s shoulder as they walk and chuckles.

Bucky’s been working the day shift at the bar and today is no different. The night before Steve had given him a lingering kiss at his door, but refused to come up. Bucky’s pretty sure it’s those old-fashioned sensibilities and if he’s being honest with himself, he really likes it. He’s drawn out of his thoughts when Becca elbows him. “Ow…what do you want?”

She smirks at him. “I want the deets of your dates and what you and Mr. Tall, Blond, and Breathtaking are doing tonight.”

“He’s been a perfect gentleman.” Bucky blushes, not because it’s a lie, but because it’s really turning him on.

Becca barks a laugh then sees his face. “Wait! You’re serious?”

Bucky gives her a side glance. “I’m very serious. A kiss goodnight at the door and that’s it. A lot of hand holding.”

“I’ll be damned.” He looks at her puzzled. “You’re falling for this one.”

For several minutes he doesn’t answer. “Yeah, I am.”

The door opens bathing the bar in sunlight. Bucky doesn’t look up until Becca grins. “Well, you better get ready because he’s here.”

He looks over at the door and sure enough, there’s Steve. Steve smiles and Bucky can only think _damn that man is beautiful._ “Steve? What are you doing here so early?”

Steve takes the seat in front of Bucky. He leans in and Bucky does too. Steve takes his hands, staring down at the bar and Bucky has a sinking feeling that he’s about to get the brush off. “Buck…” Becca thinks the same as her brother and steps to the end of the bar to stay close, but not invade. “The Avengers just got a call and I have a mission. I didn’t want you to think I forgot about you. So…”

Bucky looks up with relief on his face. “Oh…no…it’s okay. You could have just called.”

Steve raises Bucky’s hands to his lips, kissing both. Becca damn near melts at that and if she’s not mistaken, her brother is about to do the same. “I couldn’t just go with a phone call. I had to see you.”

Bucky looks over at his sister. “Steve, could you come with me for a minute?” Becca smirks. Steve follows Bucky into the office and when the door closes he backs Steve against it. “You can’t be real.” Then he’s kissing Steve with everything that’s been building for three days. He doesn’t stop with a lingering, sweet kiss. He attacks Steve’s mouth like his leg of the relay in London.

When he comes up for air, Steve looks debauched. “Jesus…Buck…” Their positions are reversed and Steve’s kissing Bucky like his life depends on it. When he pulls away, he only goes as far as Bucky’s neck. 

“Oh god.” Bucky’s head thunks against the door.

Steve is quickly losing himself in the feeling of this man under his hands and mouth. Until his phone rings with a blaring tone that doesn’t stop. “Shit!” He pulls away, adjusting his pants. With one hand resting on the door above Bucky’s head, he reaches in to grab the phone. “WHAT?” He hangs his head as Natasha talks. “Yeah, fine.” Steve hangs up the phone and leans in again. Kissing Bucky once, then again, then a third time. “I have to go. I will call as soon as I can and let you know when I’m on my way.”

Bucky nods because he doesn’t trust his voice. When Steve tries to step back, Bucky pulls him back in, kissing with a ferocity that he didn’t know he could feel for another person. “You come back to me in one piece because this isn’t over.”

The super soldier’s eyes slip closed and he rests his forehead against Bucky’s, just breathing. “I’m falling for you. I know it’s fast and probably not what…”

Before he can finish, Bucky’s giving him the sweetest kiss Steve’s ever had. “I’m falling for you too. So, come home to me.”

It’s been four days and what started out as a mission to apprehend a few terrorists has turned into Steve not caring if they are brought in still breathing. He smashes his shield into the face of one then turns to do the same to the one trying to sneak up behind him. Tony whistles. “I’d say that Cap wants to get home.”

“You did see the guy at the bar that night. He was a really attractive piece of ass.” Natasha sometimes knows what reaction she’ll get and sometimes wants to assess a situation by pushing the boundaries. This time, she pushes too far.

Most of the time Steve calls her Nat, if he’s frustrated with her, he’ll call her Natasha, but never, in all their time working together, has he used her call sign. “Widow, if you ever talk about him that way again, you and I will go a few round and I’ll show you what I’ve been holding back.” It’s said through gritted teeth.

The team goes silent after that and Steve moves through the warehouse like a wrecking ball. Tony’s seen Steve frustrated and he’s seen Steve angry, but he’s never seen Steve seething. “JARVIS, can you give me a secure channel to Sam?”

“Of course, Mr. Stark. Mr. Wilson on com 4, sir.”

“Wilson, we may need clean up in the jet on the way home. We thought this was going to be a fling, but seems to be something a little more serious.”

“Yeah, I got that about the time he said Widow.” Sam knocks a guy off the roof, soaring up to circle back around for another pass. “I’ll talk to him.”

The mission ends on day 5 and the team boards the two jets and Steve goes straight to his phone. Natasha has tried a couple of times to confront Steve, but he ignores her. Besides giving orders, Steve hasn’t talked to anyone. When Sam approaches him, he waves him off, going to strip off his uniform top and make a call. He doesn’t know what time it is back home and he doesn’t care. He just needs to hear that voice. When it comes on the line, it sounds groggy and adorable. “’Ello?”

“Buck?” Steve hears rustling on the other end like he’s sitting up and adjusting blankets.

“Steve! Where are you? Are you okay? Are you on your way home?” 

Steve sinks onto the bench by his locker. “I’m on my way home. I’m fine, but frustrated.”

“What happened? Did anyone get hurt?”

“I wanted to hurt a few myself. Buck, I’m not in this for a fling. You know that right?” Steve puts his head in his hand.

“I know that. Why would you ask that? Steve, talk to me?”

He lets all of Captain America fall away, he’s just Steve, talking to the guy he’s in love with. The thought doesn’t even surprise him or frighten him. “When we’re on missions, sometimes we talk while fighting. Most of the time it’s just picking on each other, but something was said about you and it pissed me off.”

“Don’t pay attention to what anyone says or thinks they know. We know and that’s all that matters. Steve, people can be assholes, even friends.”

He looks around, making sure he’s alone. “I need to tell you something Bucky and I want to do it now so you have time to figure out what you want to do about it.”

“Okay, but that makes me kinda nervous. You aren’t breaking up with me are you?”

“God no! I know it’s only been three dates, but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you. I don’t know how that’s going to affect us, but I am.” 

Bucky chuckles. “Are you counting what happened in the office before you left as a date?”

Steve laughs. “I’m trying to justify feeling this way about someone that I’ve only known for two weeks. Work with me, would ya?”

That gets another laugh. “Alright, I’ll give you that.” There’s silence, then, “You’re all I can think about. I think about how sweet you are, how attentive you can be when I’m talking about…anything. I get up thinking about you, I think about you all day, and I go to bed and dream about you at night. Steve I’ve never been in love before, but I’m pretty sure that’s what this is.”

“When I get back, we’ll figure it out together.”

Official date number three, but if you ask Steve, it’s number four, happens the following day. Bucky plans it, so Steve just knows to show up at the bar at a certain time. Bucky isn’t behind the bar, Becca is. She smiles happily at seeing Steve, and motions to a stool in front of her. “Bucky tells me you had a situation.” She pours a beer and sits in front of him.

He takes a drink and nods. “It turns out my friends are assholes.” After landing the night before, Steve had walked away. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, he didn’t want to have someone try to explain away a nasty comment, he wanted to be angry at them for a little while. Getting up this morning, he had a message from Tony that Fury wanted to debrief and to expect it to be an all day thing. Steve sent Fury a message and told him to ‘screw off’ he was taking the day for himself. His phone rang not long after sending the text and Steve turned it off and left it in his apartment.

Becca leans across the counter, taking Steve’s hands. He looks up, puzzled at the affection. “Listen Steve, these people that you work with, that are your friends, they grew up in this world.” He looks even more confused. “See, living in this world means that we lived through the evolution of dating going from building lasting relationships to one offs and on to the next person.” She looks at their hands with a sad smile. “You’re different. You want to build something important and special with my brother and thank god for that because he’s been yanked around enough.”

Steve watches her face and sees that she’s trying not to say something, but really wants to. “Are you going to give me the shovel talk?”

She giggles. “I don’t think I have to, but what I will say is I’ve never seen my brother like this with anyone. I shouldn’t tell you this, but he’s already in love with you. Whether he’ll admit it to himself or not, I know him better than anyone.”

Steve smiles because of his conversation with Bucky the night before, but he keeps that to himself. Making eye contact with her, he’s as vague as he can be without leaving any room for misunderstanding. “You don’t have to worry about anything.” She looks up, meeting his eyes. Seeing it she grins.

“Thank you.”

Bucky comes out of the office and sees the situation at the bar. “Becs, are you trying to steal my boyfriend?” 

She laughs. “Oh, I don’t think I could steal him even if I was trying.”

Steve stands as Bucky slides down the bar. Steve wraps him in a hug and Bucky lets himself melt into it. “I missed you like crazy.”

Bucky leans away, cupping Steve’s cheek. “Missed you too.” He doesn’t pull his hand away. “How are you?”

“So much better now.” Leaning in, he kisses Bucky lightly. “What’s the plan for today?”

There’s a ping from Bucky’s pocket. Pulling out his phone, he smiles. “Our Uber is here.” Grabbing Steve’s hand, he drags him towards the door. “And it’s a surprise, so just go with it.”

They spend the day wandering the different floors of the MoMA. Steve talks about art and Bucky watches him shed the upset, the anger, and just become a guy on a date. After hours of walking hand in hand with each other and talking about nothing of real importance, they stop at the Lee Friedlander: Nudes exhibit. Steve seems lost in thought as he takes in the detail. “What are you thinking when you look at these?” There’s a different look on Steve’s face, one that Bucky hasn’t seen.

“I’d like to paint you.” Steve turns to watch Bucky’s reaction. He isn’t expecting such a huge grin from the beautiful man.

“Yeah?” There’s a part of Bucky that wants to make a joke to hide behind. No one’s ever looked at Bucky the way Steve does. Instead, he hides his face in Steve’s neck, the super soldier’s arms circling his waist. “I think I’d like that.”

Steve kisses the top of Bucky’s head, just cradling him. So many times that Steve’s body is used as a weapon, but here, in this moment, he remembers that he’s human, that he deserves what’s being offered. As he kisses Bucky’s soft hair again, he says it. “I love you, Buck.”

Bucky looks up, eyes red rimmed, but smile luminescent. “I love you too, Steve.” Then he laughs and is joined by Steve watery chuckle. “Guess we don’t really have to talk about it, it just is.”

“Yeah…yeah…I guess so.” They leave the museum and Bucky takes him to a Cuban restaurant. It’s different than Steve expected, but the food is amazing and something that Steve’s never had before.

That’s when everything comes crashing down. The door opens and at first Steve doesn’t notice, he’s so caught up in eating, talking, and just generally watching Bucky. But when the shadows fall over their table, Steve looks up into the eyes of his team…all of them. Tony starts to pull a chair over and make himself at home, when Bucky jumps up, blocking the move. Natasha starts to intervene, but the glare she gets from Bucky stops her. Not many people are willing to take on Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, but they just met one. Steve’s told him what actually happened on the mission and Bucky is, rightly so, annoyed that these people have judged him.

“I’m going to need all of you to turn around and walk back out of here.” Eyebrows go up and mouths open to retort. “NO! That wasn’t a request or a suggestion, that was me telling you that this isn’t the time or the place. Walk away and when Steve is ready, he’ll let you know.”

Steve, for his part, is so shocked and appreciative that he sits speechless. That is, until Natasha tries to push Bucky aside. He’s on his feet so fast his chair falls over. Steve’s hand locks around her wrist. “Don’t! Touch! Him! Ever!” He looks at the rest of them. “I believe you were told to leave. I suggest that you do that now before things get…complicated.”

Sam steps in. “Cap…Steve…we were just concerned. No one’s been able to get in touch with you all day.”

“That’s because I left my phone at home. No one needed me for debrief, all of you could handle that and I had more important things to do.” He looks over at Bucky, who looks like he’d take on the entire team if it meant protecting Steve.

Tony smirks. “And did you? Did you ‘do’ more important things?” He looks over the top of his glasses at Bucky.

Taking out his wallet, Bucky can see Steve’s hands shaking and knows this could get really ugly a lot sooner than these people know. Throwing money on the table, Steve takes Bucky’s hand. “We’re done here.” He apologizes to their waitress then walks towards the door calling over his shoulder. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” It’s a brush off and the team watches them leave with gaping mouths.

“Did he just…” Tony’s never been treated that way and it’s so unexpected from Cap.

“Yeah, he did.” Sam’s smiling because for the first time, he’s seeing Steve take what he wants without thinking about anyone else.

Steve doesn’t look back, but Bucky does and it seems that each of Steve’s team is at a different degree of shock and awe. “You just made them all speechless.”

Steve squeezes his hand. “Bout time something made that group speechless. They never shut up about everything they _think_ I should do with my life.”

They’ve walked about half a block when Bucky pulls him to a stop. “You know, I’ve had worse things implied about me. You know, that I’m just a quick fuck.”

Steve hangs his head. “Bucky, I love you and as long as I’m around, if anyone implies that, I’ll have their head on a pike.”

Bucky kisses him on the forehead. “What do you want to do from here?”

“I want to go home with you and never leave.” It’s the most honest thing Steve’s ever said and absolutely, with no reservations, means.

“Then let’s go home, Steve. You leave whenever you want.” They start walking again.

“That’s going to be never.”

Bucky pulls a spare toothbrush from under the counter. He goes through his nightly routine, but this isn’t any other night. Steve is sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him. As he comes back into the bedroom, Steve shyly walks past him and into the bathroom. Bucky faces the bed, not watching. “Do you have a preferred side?”

Steve laughs around the toothbrush, spitting, he looks up. He doesn’t answer, so Bucky turns. Steve’s beet red. “I…uh…never shared…you know…uh…a bed before, so…uh no.” Steve finishes up in the bathroom and comes in, stripping off his shirt. Sex with anonymous strangers in a war zone Steve’s done, but this isn’t that. Because this is Bucky. Before it was stress relief and neither Steve nor his partner thought it anything more. It was just how people dealt with insecurities and fear in war time. 

Bucky’s mouth goes dry because it’s one thing to feels what’s under the shirt, but something entirely different to see what’s under the shirt. “Holy fucking hell.” Steve smirks, but there’s still something so shy about it.

“I sleep in just my underwear. If you don’t…” 

Bucky goes to him, running his hands over Steve’s shoulders. “Steve, I want you to be comfortable and if anything about this isn’t, you need to tell me.” Steve shakes his head. “Good, I sleep in underwear too, so it’s all okay.”

Silently, they finish getting undressed and Bucky’s sure he’s going to pass out. Steve’s gotta have zero percent body fat and Bucky doesn’t know how to handle the way the room, or maybe it’s just his body, is heating up. They crawl into bed. For a minute they just lay, looking at each other, then Steve reaches out, pulling Bucky against him. It’s so warm. It’s a perfect fit of two bodies. “Thank you.”

Bucky burrows deeper into Steve’s embrace. “For what?”

“For standing up for me at the restaurant. No one’s ever stood up for me before.” Steve buries his nose in Bucky’s hair. God he smells so good.

“I’d stand up to the world for you.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have screwed up.” Everyone looks at Tony like he’s an idiot because he’s stating the obvious. “Yeah, yeah, I know you all know that, but we also need to figure out how to fix our stupidity.”

“How were we supposed to know that this was serious and not just Cap getting his dick wet?” Nat just doesn’t seem to understand that she’s part of the problem with those kinds of comments.

Sam looks up, irritated. “Maybe by just knowing Steve. And,” He looks over at Nat. “By remembering that even though he’s not above using rough language, that he isn’t one to talk obscenely about relationships and people.”

She smirks over at him, but sees he’s not only serious, but annoyed with her. “What? It’s not like we all haven’t done it at one time or another when it comes to dating.”

Tony huffs, just as annoyed as Sam. “Yeah, but have you ever heard Cap say anything like that?” She shakes her head. “Yeah, and that’s the problem. We have to fix this because the way he left that restaurant tells me that we keep this up and we lose Captain America from the roster.”

The only one not nodding along is Sam. What Tony just said is part of Steve’s issue. They’re worried about losing Cap and not concerned about what Steve needs. Going to his floor, he paces the living room for a minute, then sighs. “JARVIS, can you find out where James Barnes lives?”

“Of course, Mr. Wilson.”

There’s a quiet knock on the door and Sam goes to see who is going to bother him now. Clint stands, looking both uncomfortable and unsure. “Hey man, think we can talk for a minute?”

Sam nods, letting him in when his phone pings. Checking it, he finds Bucky’s address. Thank god for discreet AI’s. “What’s up?”

Clint sits when Sam does, leaning forward with elbows on knees, rubbing his hands together. “Listen, you know Steve better than anyone else on the team, no matter what other members think.” Sam nods and appreciates that Clint called him Steve and not Cap. “I think we’re looking at this wrong and I didn’t consider that until they talked about the roster.” Sam leans forward because this is something new. “I think we’re missing the fact that this is not about Cap, this is about Steve. We all have lives here, you know? And Steve doesn’t. Now he’s got something that’s important and instead of being happy about it, this idiotic group is talking about whether or not he’ll fight with us.”

“Well, this is unexpected.” Clint looks up confused. “Don’t get me wrong, I agree with you, but I didn’t expect anyone else to…”

“To be human enough to understand it?” Sam chuckles, nodding. “I think we should find out where this guy lives and go make it clear that we don’t care about Cap leading us, we care about Steve having a life.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I just happen to have the guys address.” They make a plan to meet in the morning. “I think we should keep this between us and let the rest of them get their heads out of the asses.”

The following morning, Sam and Clint meet in the lobby of the building. Clint comes out of the elevator with Bruce and Sam quirks an eyebrow. Clint waves him off. “When I got back to my floor last night, Bruce was waiting and said about the same thing that I did.”

Bruce looks embarrassed, but that’s also a normal look. “I just think Steve should be able to shed the Captain America persona and have something that’s just his.” Sam picks up the duffle that he put together and they head out.

The three men make several stops before heading to the address JARVIS sent to Sam. Arms filled with bags and take away trays of coffee, they head up the stairs of Bucky’s building. Taking a deep breath, they knock on the door and wait.

Steve wakes that morning wondering why he’s so warm and comfortable. Then the dark brown hair starts to tickle his nose and he grins remembering where he is. Tightening his arms around the beautiful man in his arms, Bucky starts to wake. He makes a little snuffling sound and rubs against Steve’s pec making the super soldier huff a quiet laugh. Bucky lifts his head, hair in disarray, face pink and warm with sleep, and smiles sleepily at Steve. “Hi.”

Steve melts. That’s the only words he can use to describe what happens to his insides. He melts. “Hi.”

Bucky throws his head back down, rubbing more on Steve. “You’re warm and comfortable.” He turns his head just enough to kiss Steve’s chest. “Best pillow ever.”

Steve’s chuckle is a little louder this time. Bucky’s hand starts making lazy patterns on Steve’s stomach. “I don’t think I’ve slept this well in a very long time.” 

“Then I guess you’ll just have to sleep here more often.” Steve hums. Just as Steve is about to respond there’s a knock on the door. “What the hell?”

Steve starts to get up, but Bucky pushes him back down. “Buck?”

“It’s most likely my sister and I don’t want her ogling you.” Steve watches as Bucky slips on a pair of pj pants and shuffles out of the room. He hears the door open, he hears multiple voices, then he hears Bucky. “Steve! It’s more complicated than Becca.”

Getting up, he looks around for his pants when Bucky comes back in, digging in a drawer, and pulling out a pair of sweats. “What’s going on?” Bucky nods his head towards the door and Steve follows him out. “What the fuck is this?”

Sam holds up his hands in defense. “Before you go all pissed off on us, just listen.” Clint hands over the coffee tray and Bucky makes grabby hands at it. Bruce puts the pastry box on a table and takes his tea from the tray. “We, the three of us, talked about yesterday and what happened is on us.”

Two hours, all the pastries, and more coffee from Bucky’s kitchen and Steve, Bucky, and the other three men are laughing. Steve looks forlornly out the window. “I guess I will have to go pack some things. I really don’t want to go back yet.”

Sam grins and points at the door. “I did that for you.” 

Steve sees the duffle. “Sam, you’re the best.”

Steve’s been at Bucky’s for nearing three weeks. The Avengers have gone out only once and it wasn’t a serious mission, so Steve begged off and stayed home. According to Sam, Fury lost his shit when Steve texted saying he wasn’t going. Clint added that he looked around the table and told Tony and Natasha to fix this shit or he was firing them both. Steve didn’t really care, well he did, but he was still annoyed with them. Bucky was having the time of his life with his new friends, their stories of Steve’s antics, and having Steve at the bar with him. He was teaching Steve everything he needed to know to work the bar and with an eidetic memory, he remembered everything Bucky told him or showed him.

Bucky comes from the office and stops for just a minute to watch Steve behind the bar. He’s bent over trying to find something and Bucky has to just take a minute to appreciate the super soldier’s position. “My, my, my, that is a good view.”

Steve hears Becca and stands quickly and finds Bucky staring at him too. He smiles like he knows exactly what Bucky was doing. “Hey Buck, do we have anymore of those little stir sticks?”

Bucky clears his throat and licks his lips. Steve follows the movement. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get them from the store room.” He walks away and Steve looks curiously at Becca, who shrugs. 

See, Bucky’s only human and sleeping in the same bed with Steve every night is wonderful, but it’s getting hard. Okay, like everything is getting hard. All. The. Time. And Bucky’s just about at his wits end. Steve’s so kind, caring, understanding, loving, generous, goddamn perfect and if Bucky doesn’t get dicked soon, he’s going to go crazy. Coming back from the store room, he hands the box to Steve. He turns to leave, back to the office, when Steve grabs him and turns him back around. “Hey, what’s going on?” Steve reaches up, caressing Bucky’s cheek.

“Steve, do you even want to have sex with me?” It’s a little more desperate and a little louder than he means for it to come out.

And in true perfect form, Steve doesn’t seem embarrassed by it at all and doesn’t even spare a glance to the people that are now watching. “Well yeah, I didn’t think you wanted to. I thought it was too soon.”

“OH MY GOD!” Bucky turns to find Becca, who seems to be enjoying this situation very much. “Becca, you’re on your own.” He drags Steve out of the bar. “We’re going home, getting naked, and doing what I’ve been wanting for weeks. MY GOD! I’ve been hard every damn day waiting until I got some kind of signal from you. If I can still walk tomorrow, we didn’t do it enough.”

Steve’s still clasping his hand, following along and laughing. “Seems like you have a good, solid plan.”

Bucky turns on him, kissing him in the filthiest way. “Damn right I do. Now let’s get home.”

Bucky wakes the next morning, starving, with Steve leaning over him grinning. “You look awfully smug this morning.” Steve nudges himself closer to Bucky and he can feel just how awake and smug Steve is. “Are you kidding me! Don’t you have to recharge at some point?”

Steve cackles and eases over to lay on top of Bucky. “It’s the serum’s fault. And you did say that if you could still walk, I did it wrong.”

“Okay, okay, but I have to pee first.” Steve moves back over, taking the edge of the blankets and tossing them off of Bucky. “Geez, you are horny as fuck.”

Steve dick looks like it’s painful it’s so hard. “Can’t help it. You do this to me.”

Bucky sits up on the edge of the bed and Steve admires the bites and bruises. Leaning over, he kisses Bucky shoulder tenderly. “It’s not just me though is it? You said it’s the serum.” Bucky starts to stand, but falls back with a groan. “Okay, you definitely didn’t do it wrong.”

Steve jumps up, running around the bed to get to Bucky. Kneeling down in front of the brunette, he cups his face gently. “Buck? What’s wrong?” The prominent erection starts to flag at the idea that Bucky’s actually hurt.

“I’m sore, like really, sore. My god that dick of yours should be declared a hazard to the general population.” Then he laughs. “Oh god, your dick broke my ass!” Bucky laughs louder, but stops abruptly when he sees Steve’s face. “Oh baby, look at me.” Steve’s eyes have been on the floor in shame. He doesn’t looks up, so Bucky takes his chin and lifts it so they can see each other. “Look at the clock, Steve.” The super soldier does. “What time is it?”

Steve doesn’t understand, but answers. “It’s 9:37.”

“Yeah, and what time did we get back here yesterday afternoon and start this marathon?” Steve’s eyes get really wide. “And we fell asleep about six this morning, so that means we were actually having a sex marathon.”

“But I broke my boyfriend’s ass and that’s one of my favorite things about him.” Steve pokes his lip out and Bucky falls into hysterical laughter, Steve joins in. 

They spend a ridiculous amount of time in the tub. Steve refuses to let Bucky in alone ‘in case something happens.’ It’s really just his way of staying close and cuddling with Bucky. When the bath is done, they dress is comfy clothes and Steve carries him to the sofa. “I can walk you know.” That’s what he says, but what Bucky is really thinking is that his inner twink is doing a goddamn happy dance.

“Yes, but why should you when I can carry you.” Putting him on the sofa and then propping pillows around him, covering his lap with a blanket, Steve goes to the kitchen for food. “Uh…we don’t have any food.”

“Let’s order something. I could go for some waffles or French Toast…oh…French Toast!” Steve’s back, leaning over the sofa to place a gentle kiss on Bucky’s cheek.

“Your wish is my command today.” He goes to get his phone to place the order.

“If I’d known how you were going to take care of me, I would have let you break my ass sooner.” Steve barks a laugh from the bedroom at the same time there’s a loud knock on the door. Bucky starts to get up, but Steve skids around the corner.

“Don’t even think about getting up.” He points menacingly at Bucky as he passes the sofa. Opening the door, he sighs. “What exactly could you want at this time of the morning?”

Then Bucky hears the voice, the one that Steve’s been avoiding dealing with. “It’s true, I’m usually not up this early or haven’t gone to bed yet, but it’s time we talk.” Tony pushes his way into the apartment and as Steve starts to shut the door, Natasha pushes in too. Tony looks around critically. “How do you live in something this small?”

Bucky takes offense and more than a little attitude. “Well, you know, not everyone needs to build a monument to their ego.”

Steve snorts and comes over to kiss his boyfriend. “I may just let you handle this. Not sure I have the patience.” Steve looks up at his two teammates then back down at Bucky. “I’m going to fix some coffee and the food should be here in about 30.”

Steve heads to the kitchen and Bucky looks up at Iron Man and Black Widow. “Say what you have to say.”

Something shifts in Tony, but Natasha still looks irritated by having to be here. “Look, I’m not good with people. There’s never been a debate about that. We didn’t realize that what was happening with you and Steve was going to be this serious. We just thought you were bumping uglies.”

Bucky thinks about his ass and starts to snigger. Steve comes in, having heard Tony’s confession, and can’t help the laugh that comes out knowing exactly what Bucky is thinking about. Natasha very much does not like that they seem to find something so funny. “Are we amusing you?”

Bucky looks up at Steve, who loses it again. Looking back at Natasha, he nods. “You are. Keep going please.”

Tony looks surprised. “You know she could sneak in here sometime and kill you before you knew what was happening?”

Bucky cackles even louder at that. Steve looks over, serious again, assessing what was just said. “I really hope you aren’t threatening Bucky because that’s a sure fire way to make sure I never come back to the team.”

Tony stands, hands out in a placating manner. “No, no that’s not what…”

“Oh for god’s sake, stop pouting Rogers and get your ass back to the tower. We’re tired of dealing with Fury.” Natasha looks over at Bucky. “This will run its course and you’ll have to come back anyway.” Tony looks over at her like she’s lost her mind. He definitely didn’t know that this is how she felt and Steve and Bucky see it.

Again, Bucky starts to stand, but Steve’s hand on his shoulder stops him. “I think you better leave.”

“Listen Cap, we really didn’t come here…”

Steve holds up his hand. “I’m not talking to you, Tony. You can stay and have breakfast with us.” He turns to Natasha. “Widow, you need to go.” She doesn’t even wait for him to finish and storms out of the apartment.

Tony lowers his head, rubbing his forehead. “I didn’t know she still felt that way or I wouldn’t have brought her along.”

Steve leans his hands on the back of the sofa, Bucky reaches up, resting his flesh on top of Steve’s. “Tony, if you had to make a choice between Pepper and the team, who would you pick?”

Tony doesn’t even hesitate. “Pepper, always Pepper.” His eyes get big and he looks between Steve and Bucky. “Oh… _oh_ …” 

Steve nods. “Yeah, so until everyone accepts that I’m gay and I’m in love with Bucky _and_ it’s for keeps, I don’t have anything to say to the team or Fury.”

Bucky looks up adoringly. “I love you.”

Steve leans in for a kiss. “I love you too.”

Steve does go back to the tower a few days later and finds Widow in his apartment. She’s sitting in a chair, legs pulled up, cupping a mug of what appears to be tea. Steve goes into the kitchen to pack up the stuff in his freezer to take to Bucky’s and ignores her presence. After a few minutes, she comes in, watching him. “What’s this all about? You can’t possibly think you’re in love with the first person you have sex with in this new century.”

Steve stops, leaning on the counter, arms crossed over his chest. “For your information, he isn’t the first person I’ve had sex with since waking up.” Her eyes widen at that piece of information, but she tries to cover it quickly. He sees it though. “It seems I’m a little better at keeping information to myself than you thought.”

“Who? How?” She’s standing, gaping at him.

“My sex life isn’t anyone’s business and how I had sex without you knowing just means that your nose wasn’t where it wasn’t supposed to be.” Her shoulders slump, but he feels no sympathy for her after her treatment of Bucky.

“What is it about this guy? You haven’t shown any interest in anyone I’ve tried to set you up with.” He turns on her, eyes narrow, assessing.

“Is that what this is? You didn’t set this up and you’re feeling cheated in some way?” There’s a reaction, it’s minuscule, but there. “That’s it! Are you really so much of a control freak that you can’t be happy for me?”

Natasha turns her back to him. Posture very defensive and closed off. “Helping you acclimate to this new time was something I enjoyed doing.”

Steve laughs, causing her to jump and turn back with a glare. “Well, I hate to tell you this Romanoff, but most of the things you ‘taught me’ I had already figured out. I just let you believe you were showing me something new.” 

“What are you talking about?” Steve starts packing the food again.

“By the time you decided to take me under your ‘experienced’ wing, I had already read about most everything you were trying to teach me. I’d already gone out into the big, bad world and met people. I had already discovered things on my own. You didn’t help the way you thought you did, but I helped you. I gave you a project and I was okay with that. Now though,” He turns back around to face her. “Now, I’m in the last relationship I’ll ever be in and it’s good. Instead of being happy for me, you’re pissed off because you had nothing to do with it. Bucky is good. He’s everything I ever wanted and didn’t think I would ever have. So, get over this control issue you have and be happy for me or,” He shrugs. “Or we can’t be around each other anymore.” He grabs the bags and heads for the bedroom. “Also, you treat Bucky like this again and I really will show you what I’ve been holding back in our training sessions.” He sits the bags behind the sofa and starts down the hall.

“You really think you have moves I don’t know about, Rogers?” Before his name is out of her mouth, Natasha Romanoff, the great Black Widow, is on her back in the middle of his living room. Hands pinned over her head, large super solder’s hand around her neck, and a knee on her chest that’s about to crack her sternum. And for the first time, there’s a little panic in her eyes.

“Yeah actually, I know there are. You never show your enemy everything you’re capable of until it’s too late.” He doesn’t move, but eases up on her chest. He doesn’t miss the flinch from calling her the enemy. “Play nice Natasha.” He gets up and she makes a move. She’s on his shoulders in seconds, legs around his neck. It’s a move that he’s familiar with, she’s famous for it, but he’s watched her fight enough to know the weakness of the move. Without breaking a sweat, he maneuvers her thighs and throws her into the opposite wall. “Really? I know you like that move, but you’ll have to do better than that.” Steve knows that she’s trying to gain back some control, it’s what she needs to feel safe, but his personal life isn’t something she’s going to get control over.

“Maybe we should take this to the gym.” She’s smirking at him, goading him.

He barks a laugh. “Nice try, but I promised Bucky dinner and dancing. Becca is coming too.” He heads into the bedroom calling over his shoulder. “You can come too if you can behave and if you have something that is appropriate for Tavern on the Green.”

She stops in the middle of the hallway. “It’s Friday and that’s Swing Night.” She comes to the doorway and Steve is pulling out a suit that she’s never seen before. “Wait a minute! You Swing Dance?”

Steve grins over at her. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Romanoff.” He stops, lost in thought. “JARVIS, call Tavern on the Green and see if they have enough space for the team tonight.”

“Of course, Captain Rogers.”

Steve has no doubt that they will make space for the Avengers. “Let everyone else know they are free to join us if they want.” He heads back to the living room, picking up the bags of food, and heading to the door. “But mark my words, if anyone treats Bucky poorly, it will be the last time we’re together as a team.”

The team does join them and no one is prepared for Steve Rogers, dressed to the nines, and Bucky, equally dressed, dancing the jitter bug. Tony and Pepper are doing their best to keep up, but Steve and Bucky dance like they’ve been doing it for years. Weeks of living together have been filled with many things besides phenomenal sex. Steve’s been teaching Bucky dances and slang from his time. To hear Bucky use the 30’s and 40’s slang has been a highlight for Steve. After their turn on the floor, they flop into their chairs, grinning at each other. “Rogers, I thought you couldn’t dance.”

Steve smiles over at Tony while taking Bucky’s hand and kissing it tenderly. “I don’t know where that rumor came from, but my ma and I danced all the time.” After the song playing ends, another starts and Steve lights up. “Oh baby, this one is definitely for us. Come on.” Steve moves Bucky around the floor to “Cheek to Cheek” and looks at the young man like the entire world revolves around him.

Tony watches with a genuine smile. He leans in, kissing Pepper’s cheek. “Come on sweets, let’s get in on this.” She giggles and takes Tony’s hand.

Sam looks over at Natasha who seems to be analyzing the situation for what it is, finally. “Wanna give this a shot?”

She finally sees whatever it is she’s been looking for. “Yeah Wilson, let’s see what you can do.” What Sam isn’t expecting, when the song ends and a new one starts, is for Natasha to cut in on Steve and Bucky, taking Bucky’s hand and moving away with him. Steve looks at Sam, Sam shrugs, and lets the super soldier dance with him. Natasha looks up at Bucky, who seems a little apprehensive. “He loves you.”

Bucky lips quirk up a bit. “Yeah, he does. And I love him.”

“I’m getting that.” Nothing is said for a few seconds. “I don’t do this very often, so listen up.” He nods. “I was wrong to treat you the way I did and to dismiss you the way I did. I’m sorry.” Bucky doesn’t hide his surprise, but takes the opportunity to spin her out and pull her back in. “You got moves, Barnes.”

Now he full on smirks. “That’s the only one you get to see. All my other moves are for Steve.” She snorts a laugh and they keep dancing.

Epilogue

The jet lands and Bucky’s running. Steve comes off the back before it’s even all the way down. Bucky throws himself into the super soldier’s arms, wrapping his legs around Steve’s middle. The kiss isn’t appropriate for the public. Bucky doesn’t bother unwrapping himself and Steve doesn’t seem to mind his personal koala. “I missed you.”

Steve laughs brightly. “I got that.” He holds Bucky all the way into the common room, sitting him on the bar and leaning up for another kiss. 

“You two need to get a room.” Tony has Pepper cuddled in his arms. She whispers something in his ear and Tony chuckles. “Maybe we need a room too.” Pepper blushes, burying her head in Tony’s shoulder.

Sam just pours himself a drink, grinning at Steve, who is doing his best to keep it PG. “Why don’t we all get cleaned up and meet back here for dinner in say,” He looks over at Steve and Bucky. “three hours?”

Bucky wraps his legs around Steve again, who picks him up and heads to the lift. “That sounds like a good plan.” The lift doors close, but the team sees the spectacular display of making out happening.

“You’d think after two years those two would be out of the honeymoon phase of this relationship.” Nat gulps down the drink that Sam poured for her.

Clint laughs off to the side where he’s laying across one of the sofas. “I don’t think they will ever be out of the honeymoon phase.”

Nat shakes her head and makes for the lift. “We’re having Chinese. JARVIS, can you place the order and set the delivery for three hours?”

“Of course, Ms. Romanoff. And welcome home.”


End file.
